www.incontinentsupport.org

Hey all,

I have the pre-op appointment for my lithotripsy tomorrow. While not necessarily strictly related to my incontienence, my kidney stones have been giving me grief lately, and it will be a relief to have them out of there, and I have resolved to drink as much water as a I can once they are removed in order to avoid getting them again if I can. No more dehydration for me. I think what happened is several years ago back when I was a kid even I developed a habit of not drinking enough water to avoid having accidents or feeling like i had to go all the time.. I think I reached a point where if drank water, I felt like I had to pee a lot. Well, since now I have accepted that I am incontient, and will be so for the foreseeable future, and wearing diapers all the time anyway.. It really doesn't matter at all anymore how much I drink, since if I pee more.. I will have the diapers to absorb it. I would just have to make sure that I have enough absorbency.. maybe sometimes opting for ConfiDry. My urologist agreed; she said shed rather have me wetting more than not drinking water and forming stones. She said she didn't want to address the incontiennce until I had my stones taken out, because she suspects that the stones are aggravating, if not causing outright the incontience. Frankly, at this point, I could care less if they address the incontinence itself; I'm content to live diapered. I have tried the meds, I have tried the exercises. The excercises did help, but if my control is dependent on me remembering to do something every day without fail, I don't think that will work. I have ADHD and PDD-NOS, so I'm easily distractable, and thus very scatterbrained. I've tried making lists and reminders.. follow through is lacking on my part. Plus there is the fact that for the past 4 years and for a few months, I was dry without doing hte excercies every day. And I didn't really follow a special diet. So, really, even if i did every treatment for biofeedback and pelvic exercise again, there's still no guarantee id be wearing underewear again forever anyway.

I don't care if I wear diapers for the rest of my life..however, I do want to be pain free and have functioning kidneys.

Peace out!
Rob

_________________
"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Good luck with the lithotripsy. I had that done a few years ago to get rid of a 10 CM stone that was trapped deep in one of my kidneys. It was not painful but it was a bit discouraging to see heavy amounts of blood in my urine. I got several kidney infections prior to getting the stone broken down. The lithotripsy was not painful and was very easy. The only potentially bad part for someone who is bladder and partially bowel incontinent is that you have to go into the room wearing no protection.

The surgical team will help you onto a table with a leaned back chair frame. It is a little awkward feeling fitting in the chair because on the shape that is needed to fully submerge your abdomen without putting your legs and upper chest under the water line. They team will put you under general anesthesia and lower you partially into the water and start the sonic pulses. You won't feel any of it while it's happening. When you wake up you will feel like someone punched you in the back several times with a baseball bat. It will only be sore for a couple days. You will pee sand for up to two weeks. It won't hurt but may be a bit odd feeling. I have have nerve damage that effect my sensitivity in that area so I didn't feel a thing.

Before you know it you will be feeling like yourself minus kidney pain. Drink plenty of water and relax.

I'll keep good thoughts coming your way.

Cheers,

Doug

_________________
When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.

Doug,

Thanks for the info. I am curious as to why you say ypu can;t wear protection in the room, because I asked my urologist if I can wear protection in there, and she said yes, because they don't need to get to your bladder area itself, just the lower back. Perhaps they perfected the technique since you underwent it?
Anyway, thanks for the info.. reading your post prompted me to ask my urologsit that question, which is an important one. I don't want to have to be sitting around waiting for them to get set up with no diaper on.. only to pee all over the floor...

Peace out!

Rob

_________________
"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

I think there's one type where they use a water cushion and one type where youre in water...I'm guessing no protection for the later for obvious reasons. Maybe youre having different types?

Good luck!

All the best hope all goes well

Take Care

Greenbank

Sorry for the late response. It's been a busy weekend.

When I went in for lithotripsy I was told to remove all clothing including any undergarments. When I told them I was incontinent they said to empty my bladder and bowels the best I can before going into the OR room. Once I was up on the procedure table they said they were lowering me into a shallow tank of water. If I have any leaks it would not matter because the water tank is cleaned and disinfected after each procedure.

If you wear a diaper it will get soaked and it will leak in and out of the tank. If you are fecal incontinent I would suggest a suppository the morning before you go in. That will help clear your bowels fo rthe procedure. By the time I woke in recovery they had already put a dry diaper on me from my supplies I bought with me. No harm, no foul.

Best advice would be to talk to the doctor that is performing the lithotripsy and see what advice they give you.

Doug

_________________
When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.

Hope all went well Rob.

Doug,

What year exactly did you have the lithotripsy? Perhaps the technology available to do the procedure then has been updated, because every youtube video I have seen mentiones the paitent laying on a table and all the vids show them covered with a blanket, no tank invovled. Then i didd a search on types of lithotripsy, and it turns out there are two different ways to do the ESWL. They can either submerge a patient in a tank of water which is what you went through, or they can lie on a cushion full of water. I will be sure to call my urologist tomorrow and ask which method will be used. Honestly, i guess it doesnt matter once i get in the tank if i pee.. Heck i wont be able to control it or even know if i did or not since ill be put under. Maybe if they use the tank, they would be good enough to put a diaper on me when they are done.. Fortunatley, I do have some control over my bladder, enough so that I still urinate in the toilet on a daily basis at least once, and i have full bowel control..so the chance of dropping a deuce in the tank is nil.

Peace out!

Rob

_________________
"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Called the urologist office, and they will NOT be submerging me in a tank of water LOL. The techinques have improved to the point wehre they no longer have to do that.. so, that means i can wear protection the entire time .. Although, i really don't anticipate wetting much if any before the procedure since I'm not allowed to eat or drink anything after midnight the night prior..anywhoo.. thought youd all like to know

Peace out!

Rob

_________________
"We cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love" Mother Teresa

"THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS!" - Captain Picard from Chain of Command, Part II

Mine was done in 2010 so it was 5 years ago. Glad they updated the procedure.

Good luck and I wish you well. You'll feel better a few hours after. The pressure will be gone when they finish. The soreness will decrees every day.

Doug

_________________
When life hands you a lemon, make lemonade.